“This is extraordinary. The land was originally unfit for farming but has now been transformed and planted with corn, and the results are remarkable,” said Yudi Sastro, Director General of Food Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture, during the harvest on Saturday.
The harvested area covers three hectares. According to Sastro, the land had never been cultivated due to poor soil fertility, but collaborative efforts have successfully turned it into productive farmland.
“Productivity is exceptional, reaching 9 tons per hectare, which is above the national average. This is a strong example of collaboration, just as the president has instructed us to work toward food self-sufficiency,” he said.
The corn planting initiative is part of a broader government program in collaboration with the National Police (Polri), targeting 1 million hectares of corn cultivation across Indonesia.
The ministry reported that from October 2024 to May 2025, the total corn planting area has already met the annual target.
“With this momentum, we expect both the cultivated and harvested areas to double, and hopefully, production will increase significantly,” Sastro added.
Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih, who also attended the harvest, stressed the importance of coordination among local government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Polri, and the National Armed Forces (TNI) in achieving food self-sufficiency.
“In Bantul, we already have a rice surplus, and we hope to see continued growth in corn production as well,” he said.
President Prabowo Subianto has identified four key commodities—corn, rice, sugar, and salt—as priorities for achieving self-sufficiency within the year.
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Translator: Hery Sidik, Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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